Advantages

Disadvantages

"Controls are a little too loose"

When Le Mans 24 Hours was released on the DC last year, the majority of the games press didn't give it a great deal of coverage. MS-R was still dominating the Dreamcast mags and everything else that was released was regarded as inferior for that period of time. Oh, what they missed out on! Le Mans 24 Hours for DC is one of the prettiest racing games I've seen in a long time. Brake discs glow, sand blows up and gras sticks to the tyres when you spin off. The graphics are very "simulation" but the problem is that the control system is very "arcade". It's this mixup of the two which leads to the title's downfall. It should either be one or the other, not a mix of the two styles. The gameplay and progression is also very "arcade", with extra tracks and cars being unlocked as you win races. The first 3 championships are incredibly easy, but then it just gets ridiculous. Even if you take the fastest car around the tracks, it feels like the other cars are going so much faster than you, even on the straights. Still, the "magic weather" system and gorgeous graphics make the Le Mans 24 Hour mode the best way to play. The feeling of dawn and dusk are conveyed brilliantly and the replays look absolutely amazing. Thankfully, the 24 hour race can be compressed into 10 minutes though for the insane of you, the full 24 hours can be attempted (with an option to save whenever you pit in obviously a boon). A good, not great game that will probably have you playing for a couple of weeks, but once you've seen it all, you really have seen it all and the beauty of the graphics does little to keep you playing. The music is absolutely dire and is best switched off during races. Unless you actually want to go insane, of course....

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Le Mans 24 – a totally brilliant Dreamcast racing game with some absolutely mind blowing graphics, they’re probably the best in any Dreamcast Racing game, and to be honest this is probably the best Dreamcast racing game available ahead of everything else, although I wouldn’t say it’s quite as good as GT3, but what is? The graphics aren’t just the game’s strong point though, as this has everything! Brilliant gameplay is due to the superb handling of the large high speed le mans cars, the best of course is the McLaren F1 car, but there’re others too including a stunning Audi car which is my personal favourite, but the handling of everything is superb. The sensation of speed is really good too, with a very impressive draw distance, meaning no pop up or glitches, no frame rate issues and no problems regarding dodgy music – this is light, but decent dance music. Another cool feature is the fact that four of you can race at once – split screen four player is amazing, great fun, really competitive and the graphics aren’t affected in any way at all – well done infogrames. Plus points: Sound, music, graphics – all are flawless. The cars look real - the lighting effects are amazing too: it’s very classy! The gameplay is exceptional, racing le mans cars around real circuits at 170mph is great fun – four player woohoo! Downsides: Overall, a 5 star game, get it while you can.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Le Mans 24 – a totally brilliant Dreamcast racing game with some absolutely mind blowing graphics, they’re probably the best in any Dreamcast Racing game, and to be honest this is probably the best Dreamcast racing game available ahead of everything else, although I wouldn’t say it’s quite as good as GT3, but what is? The graphics aren’t just the game’s strong point though, as this has everything! Brilliant gameplay is due to the superb handling of the large high speed le mans cars, the best of course is the McLaren F1 car, but there’re others too including a stunning Audi car which is my personal favourite, but the handling of everything is superb. The sensation of speed is really good too, with a very impressive draw distance, meaning no pop up or glitches, no frame rate issues and no problems regarding dodgy music – this is light, but decent dance music. Another cool feature is the fact that four of you can race at once – split screen four player is amazing, great fun, really competitive and the graphics aren’t affected in any way at all – well done infogrames. Plus points: Sound, music, graphics – all are flawless. The cars look real - the lighting effects are amazing too: it’s very classy! The gameplay is exceptional, racing le mans cars around real circuits at 170mph is great fun – four player woohoo! Downsides: Overall, a 5 star game, get it while you can.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

le mans sounds like lemons i hate lemons apples now theres a fruit crispy and juicy yummmmmm i found a mouldy apricot once and sold it to a giraffe the pink elephant flew me away to mett the queen of the shebies who was grate we hasd tea and then she was in the bushesw with some man so i left sum ppl call me a space cowboy dunnu dunnu dnun duh some people call me sumthing ohoo ohhh raciong games are soo coolk not like saunas they is hot hot rimes with cot hippopotamus doesn trime with anything If your finished review is not up to scratch, or in the wrong place, Dooyoo will lock it. Please return to it and rewrite it so that it can be reviewed and released by a category manager. # o reely u wanna bet mr doooyooo man i bet you is compensatingh for sumthing with your big business

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

From the moment you watch the cars speed by on the introduction to the time spent trying to keep your eyes on the road instead of the detailed scenery speeding by, this game is simply visually stunning. Le Mans 24 is based on the world famous 24 hour racing event, where drivers compete in a grueling show of strength, often in bad weather and poor light. The game thankfully gives you other options to prevent you from going out and buying matchsticks to keep your eyes open, but the option is there for all you insomniacs to do the whole 24 hour race! There are many different ways to play the game, although most people will start with the single races that allow you to choose your track and car (unlocking more as you progress, like in Gran Turismo and many other racing games) But not only can you gain new tracks, but you can work for different teams and gain a good reputation so that you can look for a better team to join as you progress. This adds to the realism, on top of the great graphics and the real world weather conditions. The sky will actually darken during some races and you can watch the sun set (if you ever have time while trying to negotiate those tough corners!) and the lights all come on from the other cars! Not only this, but you will encounter what I believe is the most effective rain effects ever seen in a racing game, especially from the in-car view. Even the sounds are superb, the engines really sound meaty and you can tell when the cars hit different surfaces too. For those who find the racing difficult (and it can get pretty hairy on later levels) there are three different difficulty levels, all of which give you the ability to turn on and off various neat little extras like assisted braking and automatic gear changes. This all helps people ease into the game and you’ll find that you can set the car up exactly how you want, turning off bits and pieces as you progress. The other modes include a sim ulated 24 hour race, which is where you can drive through a speeded up night and day as you compete against many other computer controlled cars, and some of the best split screen racing around. The Multiplayer option is great fun, but unfortunately pits you against just your opponent rather than the rest of the cars found in the single player version. It still beats many other games hands down though and the feeling of speed is still captured, even though you are playing on a smaller screen. I particularly enjoyed playing against friends with similar abilities, it’s pretty exciting when you’ve got a clear road in front of you and you really do have to judge those corners perfectly at high speeds, otherwise you’ll find yourself spinning around more than Torvill and Dean at a skating championship. With graphics like these and a really great set of race options, Le Mans 24 is a fantastic racing experience that really stands out from the crowd, and it’s can also be used as a good cure for insomniacs, racing round the clock. I dare you to try the endurance course if you think you’re tough enough to complete the full-on 24 hour experience!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

It’s so common now to find games that are potentially (and sometimes actually) quite dull. Take Sega Bass Fishing. FISHING? Yes, a totally ridiculous idea but it ends up being a game that seems to work rather well. Airport Inc. is another one – an airport management game? My goodness, hats off for trying to come up with an original idea, I even bought it because I was so intrigued with the concept. Which leads me gently on to this game, Le Mans 24 Hours on the Dreamcast. Based on the race of the same name, Le Mans is arguably one of the toughest endurance races in the Motorsports calendar. You won’t be too surprised to find out that the race is indeed twenty-four hours long. I’ll agree with you if you’re thinking that it sounds like the most incredibly dull event ever. A grand prix lasts around two hours, that can seem long enough so 24 hours surely is on the verge of intolerable?!! Luckily this game isn’t just about re-creating the 24-hour race. That would really clinch the title of ‘Unbearably dull game 2000’. Features: Yes, you can actually drive the FULL 24-hour race. I have absolutely no idea why on earth anyone would ever want to do this, but if you absolutely positively must do something totally stupid then do it in style. If you want to be technical you can swap drivers too (like in the real thing) and thereby in shifts cover the 24 hours. Personally I really wouldn’t recommend this and I think the developers are inclined to agree with the likelihood that not many people will ever bother to actually complete a full 24-hour race. In recognition of this they have given you the option to undergo a simulation of the 24-hour race without having to do the actual time. How about doing it in 24 minutes instead? Sounds much more appealing doesn’t it and although it’s a long race you’ll probably actually give that length of time a go. If you’ ve completed MSR then you’ll be aware of the longer races so 24 minutes is not a great deal to ask really. So you’re no doubt wondering how a 24-hour race can be ‘simulated’ in the time of 24 minutes. Well, I’ll be honest and say that all things considered the end result is actually pretty good. The race starts during the day, you pass through to dusk and eventually in to the dark of night, then before you know it daylight is here again as you witness the rather smooth sunrise. Sure, it’s basically just a speeded-up version of the full thing but it really does work incredibly well and is a pretty decent alternative to completing the actual full race whilst still getting the same kind of effect. It’s not all just about the 24-hour race though. You still have the option to race in much more normal racing a bit like the Touring Car or F1 championships. One thing that is a touch more interesting on that level is the ability to sign for racing teams and work your way up as your reputation gets better over time. Single races are of course an option too, choose a car, choose a course and off you go. This feature alone can give you more than enough enjoyment although you’ll ultimately gain much more satisfaction by taking part in the more structured events. A two-player option is here too thankfully and that really is tremendously good fun. Sadly you don’t race in a pack of cars, it’s just a head-to-head, but it’s still very enjoyable and can in fact be the most fun part of the game. This is also where the replay feature shines through. Watching yourself in a replay from a race against the computer-controlled cars can be good sometimes but it’s much funnier watching how you and a friend have battled it out. You can be guaranteed that there are much dirtier tricks going on – and you can watch the evidence to prove it! Cars are aplenty here although you certainly don’t get anywhere near the amount as featured in Gran Turismo or MSR. The cars are from the world of racing after all but that does mean you have access to Porsche 911’s and Dodge Vipers – all in racing livery of course. Graphics: Here’s the icing on the cake. The graphics are out of this world. If there is one game on the Dreamcast that is so totally and utterly underrated it has got to be this. Le Mans 24 Hours is visually absolutely stunning. The cars are beautiful, the general racing environment is great and the tracks are quite simply unbelievable. On one of the courses in particular (I believe it’s Suzuka) there is a long stretch of track that goes down a hill. Just check out the draw distance – you can see so far in to the distance it’s almost ridiculous. There is almost no visible pop up no matter how far you look. That on a console that is now £99 is nothing to sneeze at. This game has already been released on the PC and Playstation but the Dreamcast version blows both of them out of the water. I’m certainly eager to see what this will look like when it’s released on the PS2 this year. It’ll have to be good to beat this and if it does we’re going to be in for a graphical treat on a higher level! The cars are also meticulously re-created with reflective panels (although it’s not a true reflection) and brake discs that glow during heavy braking moments. This attention to detail really pays off when you watch the replays. The courses are also incredibly accurate and realistic – if you’re a motor racing fan you’ll recognise some of the courses including Catalunya. It’s even worth the odd practice race just so you can have a good look at the surroundings. It’s not quite the same as MSR but nevertheless the tracks are detailed enough to warrant a high level of respect. Sound: Listen to those babies roar! Everything here sounds spot on. The cars are throaty and sound truly powerful. Cars that manage to pass you do so with realistic effect and even the menu music isn’t totally unbearable. If you are insane enough to take part in the full 24 hour race you may want to have your stereo on for company as the sound of engines will get dull after a while no matter how good they sound. If you’ve got the scart lead with audio outputs they’ll come in to good use here – crisp picture and clear audio are a must to get the absolute maximum from this title. Controls: As with all good games you can set up your controls exactly as you want them. If you’re fortunate enough to have a racing wheel for the Dreamcast then you’re going to be in driving heaven. I found that the controller works really well though thanks to the analogue joystick. A vibration pack won’t go a miss here either – feel every collision for the ultimate realistic effect! Lastability: One of the things I love about driving games is that you don’t really complete them as such. Each race can be different as you and other drivers make mistakes or incredible driving moves. You don’t have to engage in the 24-hour race to get the most from this game either so don’t be put off thinking that you’ve only got one race track that you have to use 24 hours at a time!! The two-player mode will have you racing for hour upon hour and with the other options such as single races this game should remain in your collection for many months to come. There are of course difficulty settings for you to mess around with if you’re finding racing a little too easy but don’t think that you can start at the top – treat the game with respect and it will respect you. Don’t and you’ll be finishing last every time. Mechanical failures can be altered too – engines and tyres will blow a nd after you’ve limped back to the pits (i f you can that is!) you’ll find that you’re too far behind to get back in the race. Know your limits and you may just survive for more than half a race. In conclusion this is a superb racing game in almost every way. For some it will be a little too clinical but it’s not just pure simulation. There is a fine balance between dull races and cars that handle like they’re stuck to the road. Great features, great graphics and great playability. What more can you ask for?

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

This opinion has been incredibly difficult for me to write for many reasons, however I believe that I can put together one of the best opinions I have written, and now it’s the turn of Infogrames’ Le Mans 24Hour to grace my sceptical eye! I hope you like this opinion – my views of the game are mixed, but I think it’s a definite ‘must have’ so don’t skip any of it! Le Mans 24 Hour is probably the most visually pleasing game I have ever played in my entire life! I didn’t expect such graphical splendour after realising that it’s a game by Infogrames (UEFA striker and Silver didn’t do much for me!), but I couldn’t be happier with my purchase! You may have some false impressions about the game, for instance a friend of mine thought you could only play 24hour races – let me assure you this isn’t the case although there is the mammoth race time option! The start up sequence isn’t overly impressive but is a nice little interlude of the actual game – a brief warm up of things to come. I remember watching the demo on the ‘Dream On’ demo CD from Official Dreamcast magazine, but I wasn’t that bothered by what I saw, perhaps I should have been paying more attention! Anyhow, after trudging up to Electronics Boutique I handed over my 40 notes in exchange for a gleaming 1penny coin…oh yeah, and the game. I don’t often pay the Full RRP for games – usually I buy second hand or at an online discount store, but I couldn’t resist any longer so I bought it. The game is presented wonderfully. I have to be honest and say that layout and in-game menu is faultless: easy to read; crisp and clear; very clean sounds! I know that the way the game is presented isn’t usually the prime factor in the decision making of buying a game, but it does make a nice change – gone are the days of smudges and blurs! < br> In all of the modes in fact, you can set the difficulty level according to your skill: Amateur – don’t select this option unless you cannot brake on your own, also the cars are so slow, but then so are you because the computer brakes far too early! It’s daft really because driver assisted options like automatic gear changing are useful, but are also in the Intermediate level – this is the one that you should use to get you started. I haven’t played many racing or driving games where I’ve found it an advantage to use manual gears, so I’ll just use the Intermediate option! This also has opponents that have Intermediate AI, which are surprisingly clever and cunning drivers! The other level is Expert – this is one for the experienced driver. I have yet to complete a race and so I rarely attempt this level of skill, which is completely down to you – Manual Transmission, no car aids, and AI drivers with such high IQ levels that they’d need to invent an ‘Upper Class’ MENSA! They really are tough, but if its edge of your seat stuff you like then this is the challenge for you! · Quick race – the first option most people would choose. If you want to get stuck in straight away, and know it doesn’t matter where you’ll finish then the quick race is for you1 You can select your car from a great variety of Le Mans muscle machines, select the whether, the number of laps and all sorts of different aspects of the quick race set up! For my first 3 goes I managed to finish 16th, 16th and 16th (out of 16 cars) but I managed to improve each time! · Championship – compete in all of the tracks and build up a points total in order to finish as highly as possible! Every time you win a championship - a series of races, you will be able to play in new championships that are unlocked. There’re 8 different Championships to play through - the game will last you for a long, long time! I found that the AI cars actually did make some mistakes on a few of the races, adding to the overall racing experience. Make a mistake, as with so many games these days, you’ve had it! · Le Mans 24! This is the Ultimate Challenge, the most difficult and enduring race of all time, so it is highly recommended that you gather a few mates round with about 6 hours of free time (make sure they can drive the Le Mans car first!) and then take it in shifts as the Le Mans race takes 24 whole hours. Yep, a whole day in a Virtual world! The aim is to complete as many laps as you can – when the 24 hours is up, the team with the points are decided in relation to the number of laps completed. It’s going to be one hell of a challenge for myself and for whomever I rope into doing it as well! The very thought of 1 hours solid racing is enough to scare me – yet alone 24, oh and it takes place at around 180mph too… · Multi Player – Is this the greatest multi player experience on Dreamcast? Well, it’s definitely the best 3 and 4 player racing game available on any console, but as for best multiplayer game? I think Virtua Tennis is still more fun, and is extremely playable! However, Le Mans has an absolute cracker of a split screen set up – whether it be for just the 2 of you, 3 or even the 4, the graphical display on the screen is impeccable (You must simply get a SCART lead in order to make the most out of the picture quality – see the SCART lead opinions here at dooyoo.co.uk). The draw distance in the game is stunning, the level of realism is breathtaking, awe inspiring, and as with so many split screen racing games you’d expect this features to remain single player for the main, do not worry though because all of the visual splendour remains in tact! It’s amazing! With Sega Rally 2 and MSR the 2 player games were a slight let down, didn’t ho ld a candle to the one player, but with Le Mans? It’s superb! There is no slowdown! Not even a glitch! Infogrames, I must say well done. 4 player races are just so much better than 2 player ones, lucky your little Whit box has four ports – no need to buy a horrible Multi Tap! · Time Trial – this is the mode for you to test out new car configurations and test your speed against the clock. The computer times are hard to beat when you first start playing, but you’ll soon find yourself cutting a second or two here and there off of the pre set ‘Justin’s’ 3:30:00! This is for one player only, so get some practice in without the pressure off the other cars so that you can beat all your mates! · Options – what do you expect from this style of game? Well, unsurprisingly in this excellent feature of the game you can change such things as your control set-up, difficulty levels, weather (wet, rainy or random etc) and whether you want actual fuel usage, tyre wear or not and so many more! I recommend keeping the standard control system – the right analogue shoulder trigger is accelerate and the left is brake. You can change you view as well – in the options you can select the default view. Then there are options to change the KMH – MPH and so on… The game is full of hidden bonuses and secrets to unlock as you progress through the game. At the start there are only 4 tracks available, but as you complete certain levels and challenges you will receive more. At the start there are around 12 cars to select from, but if you complete the whole game there will become a total of 40 super Le Mans machines! There are a few instantly recognisable cars such as the Audi Le Mans, the GT MacLaren F1 car and the Newcastle sponsored Lister Storm! Each car has it’s own unique profile – different speeds, handling, acceleration etc. You’ll soon find your favourite car and mo st preferred track – everyone normally does, but don’t expect the game to offer the same kind of fun as the likes of Sega Rally and Colin McRae, because Le Mans is much more of a practice makes almost perfect kind of game. I’ve told you the good points, I now have to state the flaws, faults or just general niggles in the game, and thankfully there isn’t much to complain about. If you want a game that will last you as long as you think you’ll be playing computer games then Le Mans is for you – it’ll take a while to perfect, and the 4 player races will always prove popular come New Year’s or at a social gathering! There are a few aspects of the game that I am not particularly overjoyed with though. Graphical effects are superb, especially the smoke effects and tyre dust etc – the day to night change is incredible, with visual effects that may well be on a par with the much hyped Gran Tursimo 3 – if it ever makes it to release stage, I’ll be able to let you know how the two compare (should I take the chance and get a PS2…if it comes down in price of course). Oh yes, back to the flaws, well the scenery isn’t overly exciting, but then you are playing in real life locations so you cannot expect bright colours and UFOs flying all over the place, but it’s still fairly impressive, but the detail isn’t as great as in F355 or in MSR. The music is ok, but hardly worthy of such a title – maybe a little more tune or something could accompany the monotonous thumping. The crowd cheer, but not nearly loud enough! However, I am pleased with the way my F1 growls at the start of the race! There is very little pop up as I say, although, just like F355 there is the odd tree that has an incredible spout of growth within a split second – appearing from the wilderness. Don’t worry though, as this doesn’t take anything away from the game. The li ghting effects on the cars is good, they aren’t too shiny, and aren’t as dull as the MSR drone cars, but the shadow effects are just silly – pass a stand with a crowd in it and the shadow will be of a tree. Never mind! Overall Le Mans 24Hour – 24 Heures De Mains (as it is called it in the start up) is a superb game, and is worthy of your £39.99. If you can find it cheaper then you know what to do! The game outclasses MSR in terms of graphics and frame refresh rate, however isn’t a better game because MSR is just ‘something else’. The game has fairly long loading times, but this just adds to your excitement in anticipation of racing in such a thrilling game. It’s fast, it’s aesthetically pleasing, and it’s a whole lot better than any of the PS2 drivel that’s out at the moment. I’m sure people will kneel and worship the display stands of Sony’s Gran Turismo 3, and it will probably be a very good game (judging by the screen shots), but you’ve played it before – it’s GT – it’s a sequel and it’s the same, so if you have to get one racing game this year then make it Le Mans 24 Hours…of course I’ll no doubt be telling you to get the highly anticipated Arcade classic return of Daytona USA Online 2001 (released early March). This is the longest opinion I have written on a game (exception of planet ring) and so hope it’ll be well read and liked by our community. D1A1